Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 of 22 May 2006 establishing Community financial measures for the implementation of the common fisheries policy and in the area of the Law of the Sea^f1, and in particular Article 21 thereof,

Whereas:

Based upon the requests for Union co-financing that have been submitted by Member States in their fisheries control programmes for 2013, the Commission has adopted Implementing Decision 2013/410/EU of 10 July 2013 on a Union financial contribution towards Member States’ fisheries control programmes for 2013^f2, which has left some of the 2013 budget available unused.

That unused part of the 2013 budget should now be allocated by a new Decision.

In conformity with Article 21(2) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006, Member States have been asked to submit programmes related to additional funding in the priority areas as defined by the Commission in its letter to Member States of 7 June 2013, i.e. projects aiming at adaptation of the Electronic Recording and Reporting Systems (ERS) in Member States in order to cater for the future obligation to land all catches including adaptation of Member States databases, interoperability of the ERS systems, measurement of engine power, and traceability of fishery products. Requirements to be met by operators and/or Member States carrying out investments in traceability projects were defined by the Commission in its letter to Member States of 14 May 2012.

On that basis and given budgetary constraints, requests in the programmes for Union funding related to actions such as training and initiatives raising awareness on the common fisheries policy rules have been rejected, since they were not dedicated to the priority areas defined above. Within the priority areas indicated by the Commission, not all the projects in the programmes could be retained, due to budgetary restraints. The Commission had to select the projects to be co-financed on the basis of an evaluation of their conformity with the defined priorities.

As to traceability projects, it is important to ensure that they are developed on the basis of internationally recognised standards, as required by Article 67(8) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011^f3.

The applications for Union funding have been assessed with regard to their compliance with the rules set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 391/2007 of 11 April 2007 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 as regards the expenditure incurred by Member States in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the Common Fisheries Policy^f4.

It is appropriate to fix the maximum amounts and the rate of the Union financial contribution within the limits set by Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 and to lay down the conditions under which such contribution may be granted.

In order to encourage investment in the priority actions defined by the Commission and in view of the negative impact of the financial crisis on Member States’ budgets, expenditure related to the above-mentioned priority areas should benefit from a high co-financing rate, within the limits laid down in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006.

In order to qualify for the contribution, projects co-financed on the basis of this decision should comply with all the relevant provision of Union legislation and, in particular with Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: